(c) Prepare a tender/estimate for the installation of 20 steel
street lamps in 5 streets of a small town to replace ageing
concrete lamp standards, using the following information.
The holes for the lamp standards have to be excavated using manual
labour. The old concrete lamps need to be removed using a lorry
mounted crane or ‘Hiab’, which also serves as an extendable high
platform.
The old lamps are first disconnected by the Supply Authority, which
does not form part of the contract. Removal of old standards to
contractor depot is part to the contract. The new lamp standards
consist of the lanterns (lights) complete with the ballast,
ignitor, capacitor and lamp already fitted. The main materials then
are the column, the lantern, the cable to wire it, a photo-electric
cell, tarmas and the concrete. The lamps are supplied by the
contractor to the client’s specification. The lamp standards have
to be erected then concreted (6 metre columns specified require a
1.3 m buried root depth) then the luminaires/lanterns fixed to the
top and connected to the connection box at the base of the column.
In order to keep the street lighting disruption to a minimum during
lamp standard replacement, arrangements are made with the supply
authority to disconnect old standards and connect the ‘tails’ (i.e.
loose cable one end of which is connected to the lamp standard to
be used to connect to the supply cable) of new standards.
Connection and disconnection by the Supply Authority is not part of
the project tender. This means that the new standards have to be
wired ready for connection. In order to do this holes have to be
excavated adjacent to the old standards to accommodate the new
standards and they have to be concreted with tails brought out
before connection can take place.
When connection is complete, the old concrete standards are removed and temporarily stored for disposal in the contractor’s depot and the holes of both new and old standards reinstated. Generally the new standards can be placed within 2 metres adjacent to the old standards.
A mobile crane or ‘Hiab’ lifts the columns and sets them in the
holes and is also used as a platform for working at height. The
lanterns, which contain an infra-red detector for automatic
switch-on are pre-wired by the contractor to avoid damage during
installation and are attached at height using the ‘Hiab’ lorry
mounted crane to the columns after column installation. Cables and
wiring are passed from the lantern and threaded down the column to
the connection box at the bottom. The lamp standards have to be
connected at the base connection box by cable ‘tails’ to an
existing lighting cable run along the pavement. Identification of
existing underground cables is performed by the Supply Authority
and drawings passed on to the contractor prior to work commencing.
Connection, made by the Supply Authority, is arranged by the
client.
Students may assume that the lamps are delivered to the contractor
storage depot and are paid for or enter a cost for purchase and
delivery in their tender.
Students are at liberty to assign their own labour, ordinary and
overtime rates and costs/values for:
• materials, such as concrete, cabling and accessories and paving
stone replacement or tarmac reinstatement
• hire of equipment, such as cranes, HIABs, concrete mixers, etc.
or other hired equipment
• times for excavating and the size of excavations
• cable measuring, cutting, laying, connecting and testing of
lantern and column cable connections prior and post erection
• contractor overheads, including depot security, management,
clerical (wages, etc.) and contract manager’s time compiling tender
document and so on
• any contingencies (e.g. bad weather, vehicle breakdown,
vandalism, strikes, difficult terrain, etc, production of As-Built
drawings detailing position of new lights and connections
underground etc, if any)
• any other contractor costs that the student may consider
necessary.
Costs can calculated without considering VAT.
Students should endeavour to use sufficient labour to complete the
work within three to four weeks and without interruption of street
lighting availability.
All assumptions on which the tender is based regarding quantity of
labour and type, duration of manpower employed, times for
excavation, positioning and concreting of new standards, removal of
old standards, etc. should be stated.
Note: There are many options to consider when tendering. For
example, students may opt for excavation of all holes before
commencement of new column installation as this will cut down on
the duration of the Hiab hire. Alternatively students may consider
it more profitable for the contractor to excavate so many holes for
old and new standards, then install the new and remove the old
standards before proceeding with more excavations. It should be
remembered that the street lighting has to be maintained during the
replacement of the standards and the Supply Authority will only
disconnect two old and connect two new standards per day. It is
recommended that the best way to execute the contract is to leave
as few excavations open as possible and to leave as many columns in
lighting as possible. Temporary reinstatement usually takes place
after standard positioning and connection and permanent
reinstatement of flags or tarmac in a street will be performed
after street completion. If costs for materials are estimated (for
such as paving stones or tarmac, etc.) allowance should be made for
some wastage.
The tender should include labour materials, overheads and
contingencies, and need not include financial arrangements between
contractor and client. As the tender is a preamble to a project
plan, these can be assumed to be interim payments with adjustments
and final settlement and it is not necessary to prepare a cash
budget, etc.
Constraints should be recognised, as for example the minimum time
the Hiab will be required will be 2 weeks if it installs 2 new and
removes 2 old standards per day. All such modes of working should
be clearly stated and reasons briefly given for the assumptions on
which the tender is costed, for the benefit of the client.
If a contractor has a long term arrangement as preferred
contractor with a local authority or Highways Agency Area, there
would usually be a rate or price agreed at the tender stage for the
erection of a new column. There would also be a number of rates to
cover the different lantern types and column sizes. Alternatively
some contractors tender on a ‘cost plus’ basis where the client is
charged the material and labour cost plus a percentage for the
contractor’s overheads and profit. This is the form the student’s
tender should take, which requires work activities, amounts of
labour and rates to be specified and the costs of activities,
equipment, contractor’s overheads, etc. to be estimated. From this
a project plan will emerge.
If a tender is pitched too high with profit it may lose out to
another contractor. If too low, it will lose money. It’s a fine
line.
Choosing the installation cost is a very big and mandatory step. because if tender costs very low it may lose the contract it will lose money and its to high with profit it will lose to other contractors.
Assumption:hiring a crane for 20-25 days and rent for 1 day will be 200rs so
Total=20*200=4000
25*200=5000
Work includes removing of old lamps and also bbuiding a platform for working in height.so should fix tender price accordingly
(c) Prepare a tender/estimate for the installation of 20 steel street lamps in 5 streets of...